On July 15, 1973, Nolan Ryan pitches his second no-hitter of the season, as the California Angels defeat the Detroit Tigers, 6-0. In the sixth inning, Tigers slugger Norm Cash comes to the plate with a piano leg, instead of a bat. Cash, who had struck out his first two times up, will pop out after exchanging the piano leg for a regulation bat.
Norm Cash was a free-spirited player, a very good player too, he died in a fluke accident where he slipped and fell off a boat dock, drowning , he was only in his early 50's...also Cash was one of the last players to come to the plate without a helmet...Baseball did not enforce the helmet rule to players who were playing at the time of the rule's inception...kind of like a "grandfather law"... players who were already in the league, did not have to wear a helmet...Boston catcher Bob Montgomery was another player I recall that did not wear a helmet.
